Often, when objects are formed by forging, excess material remains on the object being created that must be removed to achieve the finished product. For example, objects such as gears, sprockets, etc., that are formed by forging will often have a ring of excess material disposed around the outer periphery that is commonly referred to as flashing. As well, it may also be necessary to remove material from the bodies of these objects, thereby creating a bore so that they may be mounted on drive axles, spindles, etc.
Typically, the operations required to remove the flashing and form a bore in a forged object, such as a gear, are performed on two independent machines. For example, a first device, such as a hydraulic press, is used to perform a trimming function on the gear for removal of the flashing, whereas a second hydraulic press is used to perform a piercing function, thereby forming a bore in the gear. Because these functions are often performed on two independent machines, the object being worked on must be moved from the first device to the second device to perform both functions. When compared to performing both operations on the same device, such as a single hydraulic press, performing the functions on two independent devices increases the handling of the object as it must be removed from the first device and transferred to the second device, which can lead to increased potential for the object to be damaged. As well, existing press assemblies often have mechanisms for ejecting the object after the process has been completed. Ejector mechanisms can be complex devices and often eject the work piece in a manner that results in the object merely being pushed out of the press assembly and onto the floor. As would be expected, such methods of ejecting the object can lead to damage as it falls from the press assembly to the floor.